The isolation of Roma children
Eugen Crai, Country Director, Roma Education Fund, Romania
The isolation of Roma children
Eugen Crai, Country Director, Roma Education Fund, Romania
In 2005, governments in Central and Eastern Europe proclaimed the Roma Decade of Inclusion and committed themselves to “eliminating discrimination and closing the unacceptable gaps between Roma [people] and the rest of society.” With the clock running down to the Decade’s conclusion in 2015, this effort to right historical inequalities in such key areas as education, gender and health has brought modest results. Roma children continue to have substantially lower vaccination coverage, with appalling consequences. When Bulgaria experienced an outbreak of measles in 2009, 90 per cent of all cases occurred among the ethnic Roma community.Romania, home to more than half a million Roma according to the latest official data (other estimates run as high as 2.8 million), illustrates the difficulties and opportunities involved in efforts to eliminate disparities and promote inclusion. In 2001, the Government adopted a national strategy to improve the situation of Roma throughout the country. Ten years on, only 13 per cent of local governments have implemented specific measures for Roma communities. Progress towards social inclusion has been slow from the outset and was further hampered by the global economic crisis, which hit the region in 2008. Many municipalities have cut social spending amid rising unemployment.
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